The Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) has published an article reflecting criticism of the government of Prime Minister Edi Rama for financing with public money the concert of rapper Ye (formerly known as Kanye West), held on Saturday in Tirana.

According to OCCRP, critics accuse the government of turning the concert into a political spectacle, with the aim of dulling the echo of the anti-government protests that have been taking place in the capital for weeks. The government approved a fund of 400 million lek (about $4.9 million) from the state reserve fund to support the July 11 concert. The funds will be transferred to the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sports for an activity that, according to the government, aims to promote Albania's international image through culture and tourism.

Writer and analyst Fatos Lubonja told OCCRP partner Shteg.org that this decision-making resembles the "bread and circuses" model of governance, where public money is spent on entertainment while the country faces much deeper problems.

"Maybe he's doing it to counter this protest, to organize a big spectacle so people will say: 'Look how many people gathered there,'" Lubonja is quoted as saying.

He questioned why the state should give millions of dollars to a private company for a commercial artist, who, according to him, does not contribute to the cultural development of the country. Lubonja called the funding a scandal and compared it to other public spending decisions during the Rama government, which critics have considered non-transparent or politically motivated.

On the other hand, the government has defended the decision as an investment in tourism. In the explanatory memorandum reviewed by Shteg.org and OCCRP, the authorities argue that the concert should not be seen solely as a private activity, as it is expected to attract foreign visitors and bring benefits to hotels, transportation, restaurants, and the service sector.

According to the document, Redcloud requested urgent financial support from the Ministry of Tourism on July 3, arguing that the event was at risk of not taking place due to additional costs and lack of time to follow the usual legal procedures. The memorandum also states that about 70 percent of the tickets were purchased by foreign citizens.

Prime Minister Edi Rama has also publicly defended the funding, stating that the intervention was necessary to avoid an embarrassing situation for Albania in the face of the nearly 25 foreign visitors who had purchased tickets. According to him, the activity could generate at least 100 million euros in revenue from tourism and reservations in the accommodation sector.

Journalist Elsa Demo told Shteg.org that the financing of the concert is part of a long-standing political model that treats culture as a spectacle, adding that such activities can serve as political tools to foster admiration for power and distract citizens from civic engagement.

Meanwhile, economist Zef Preçi questioned the legal basis and urgency of the decision, noting that the concert was made public more than two months ago. Even if the state were to support a private activity, according to him, the funds should have been allocated through a competitive and transparent procedure, not through an emergency act.

OCCRP recalls that the controversy comes at a time when Tirana has been experiencing daily protests for more than a month. The demonstrations began as opposition to a luxury resort project linked to Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of US President Donald Trump, and then expanded to protests against development in protected areas, construction on the coast and allegations of government corruption, which Prime Minister Rama has denied.

According to OCCRP, the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sports, as well as the company Redcloud, did not respond to Shteg.org's questions regarding the reasons for the funding and how the public funds will be spent.

The article also points out that Ye remains a highly controversial figure on the international stage and that this summer he was banned from performing in several European countries after statements praising Adolf Hitler and the publication of content with Nazi symbols.